Topic Contents

Hip Injuries, Age 12 and Older

Topic Overview

A hip injury and pain can make it hard to
walk, go up and down stairs, squat, or sleep on the side that hurts. A clicking
or snapping feeling or sound around your hip joint (snapping hip) may
bother you or cause you to worry. But if your hip is not painful, in many cases
the click or snap is nothing to worry about. Home treatment may be all that is
needed for minor hip symptoms.

To better understand hip injuries,
it may be helpful to know how the
hip works. It is the largest ball-and-socket joint in
the body. The thighbone (femur) fits tightly into a cup-shaped socket
(acetabulum) in the pelvis. The hip joint is tighter and more stable than the
shoulder joint but it does not move as freely. The hip joint is held together
by muscles in the buttock, groin, and spine; tendons; ligaments; and a joint
capsule. Several fluid-filled sacs (bursae) cushion and lubricate the hip joint
and let the tendons and muscles glide and move smoothly. The largest nerve in
the body (sciatic nerve) passes through the pelvis into the leg.

Hip injuries

Injuries are a common cause of hip
problems. You may not remember a specific injury, especially if your symptoms
began slowly or during everyday activities.

Overuse injuries occur from repeating the same
activity. The repeated activity, such as running or bicycling long distances,
stresses the hip joint and may cause irritation and inflammation. Examples of
overuse injuries include irritation of the large sac (bursae) that cushions the
bones of the hip joint (trochanteric bursitis), irritation of the tendons in
the hip (tendinitis),
muscle strain, and hairline cracks (stress fracture) in the neck of the thighbone
(femur).

A sudden (acute) injury may occur from a fall on the hip,
a direct blow to the hip or knee, or abnormal twisting or bending of the leg. Examples of acute injuries that may cause hip pain include:

Treatment for a hip injury depends on the location, type,
and severity of the injury as well as your age, general health, and activities
(such as work, sports, hobbies). Treatment may include first aid measures;
application of a brace, cast, harness, or traction; physical therapy;
medicines; or surgery.

The bleeding slows or stops with pressure but
starts again if you remove the pressure.

The blood may soak through
a few bandages, but it is not fast or out of control.

With mild bleeding, any of these may be
true:

The bleeding stops on its own or with
pressure.

The bleeding stops or slows to an ooze or trickle after
15 minutes of pressure. It may ooze or trickle for up to 45 minutes.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur
after a sudden illness or injury.

Symptoms of shock (most of which will be present) include:

Passing out.

Feeling very dizzy or
lightheaded, like you may pass out.

Feeling very weak or having
trouble standing.

Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You
may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and
illness. Some examples in adults are:

Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease,
and HIV/AIDS.

Long-term alcohol and drug
problems.

Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety
of conditions.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for
cancer.

Other medicines used to treat autoimmune
disease.

Medicines taken after organ transplant.

Not
having a spleen.

Symptoms of infection may
include:

Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or
around the area.

Red streaks leading from the area.

Pus draining from the area.

A fever.

Pain in adults and older children

Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain
is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and
can't do anything else except focus on the pain.

Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your
normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days.
Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's
there.

Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain,
but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Major trauma is any event that can
cause very serious injury, such as:

A fall from more than
10 ft (3.1 m) [more than
5 ft (1.5 m) for children under
2 years and adults over 65].

A car crash in which any vehicle
involved was going more than
20 miles (32 km) per
hour.

Any event that causes severe bleeding that you cannot
control.

Any event forceful enough to badly break a bone.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be
able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the
symptoms.

Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any
concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect).
You may need care sooner.

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind
of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older
adults tend to get sicker quicker.

Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart
disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care
sooner.

Medicines you take. Certain
medicines, herbal remedies, and supplements can cause symptoms or make them
worse.

Recent health events, such as surgery
or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them
more serious.

Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug
use, sexual history, and travel.

When an area turns blue, very pale, or cold, it can mean that there has been a sudden change in the blood
supply to the area. This can be serious.

There are other reasons
for color and temperature changes. Bruises often look blue. A limb may turn
blue or pale if you leave it in one position for too long, but its normal color
returns after you move it. What you are looking for is a change in how the area
looks (it turns blue or pale) and feels (it becomes cold to the touch), and
this change does not go away.

Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger

Home Treatment

Home treatment may help relieve hip
pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Rest. Try to rest and protect an injured or sore
area. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that may be causing your
pain or soreness.

Sleep on your uninjured hip
with a pillow between your knees, or sleep on your back with pillows beneath
your knees.

Gently massage or rub your hip to relieve pain and help
blood flow.

For the first 1 to 2 days after an injury, do not do
things that might increase swelling, such as taking hot showers or use hot tubs,
hot packs, or alcohol beverages.

Do not use aspirin for the first
24 hours after an injury. Aspirin may cause more bruising under the skin.

After 2 to 3 days, if you
do not have swelling or the swelling is gone, you can put
heat on the area. Moist heat with a hot
water bottle, warm towel, or a heating pad set on low may feel good on your
hip. You can carefully begin normal activities and gentle stretching.

Prone buttocks squeeze, to strengthen
the buttocks muscles. These muscles support your back and help you lift with your
legs.

Keep bones strong

Exercise and stay active. It is best to do weight-bearing
exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting
weights, for 2½ hours a week. One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. In addition to weight-bearing exercise, experts recommend that you do resistance exercises at least 2 days a week. Talk to your doctor about an exercise
program that is right for you. Begin slowly, especially if you have not been
active. For more information, see the topic
Fitness.

Don't drink more than 2 alcohol
drinks a day if you are a man, or 1 alcohol drink a day if you are a woman.
People who drink more than this may have a higher chance for developing
osteoporosis. Alcohol use also increases your chance
of falling and breaking a bone.

Stop or do not begin smoking.
Smoking also increases your chance for developing osteoporosis. It also
interferes with blood supply and healing. For more information, see the topic
Quitting Smoking.

Prevent hip injuries

Wear your seat belt in a car.

Do
not carry objects that are too heavy.

Use a step stool. Do not
stand on chairs or other unsteady objects.

Wear protective gear
during sports or recreational activities, such as roller-skating or soccer.
Supportive splints, such as wrist guards, may lower your chance for
injury.

Do not do activities that make one side of the pelvis
higher than the other, such as running in only one direction on a track or
working sideways on a slope. Keep your hips level.

Reduce falls

Remove any obstacles from your walking path and
fix anything in your house that may cause you to fall. Household hazards that
can cause falls include slippery floors, poor lighting, cluttered walkways,
throw rugs, raised doorway thresholds, and electrical cords.

Keep
furniture or other items that have sharp edges away from normal walking
pathways in your house.

Use nonskid floor wax, and wipe up spills
immediately.

Have your vision and hearing checked regularly. If you
have poor vision or hearing, you may have a harder time keeping your
balance.

Know the side effects of any medicines you are taking. Ask
your doctor or pharmacist whether the medicines you are taking can
change your balance. For example, sleeping pills or sedatives can change your
balance.

Check the condition of your shoes on a regular basis. Wear
low-heeled shoes that fit well and give your feet good
support.

Have a lot of lights in your house, especially on
stairways, porches, and outside walkways. Use night-lights in areas such as
hallways and bathrooms. Add extra light switches or use remote switches, such
as switches that go on or off when you clap your hands, to make it easier to
turn lights on if you have to get up during the night.

Have sturdy
handrails on stairways.

Put grab bars and nonskid mats inside and
outside your shower or tub and near the toilet and sinks. Use shower chairs and
bath benches.

Be safe when you go outdoors. Use a cane or walker if
you need to. If you live in
an area that gets snow and ice in the winter, have a family member or friend sprinkle salt or sand on
slippery steps and sidewalks.

If you live alone, you may want to get an emergency contact
bracelet or necklace. If you fall and can't get to the phone, you can press
the button on your bracelet or necklace. This calls
911 or an emergency number for you so that
help can be sent.

Exercises to stretch and strengthen your hip and back area

Warm up and stretch before exercising to prevent muscle strains and
injury.

Prone buttocks squeeze, to strengthen
the buttocks muscles. These muscles support your back and help you lift with your
legs.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.